


three becomes two

by onlyeverthus



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Multi, Post-Episode AU: s02e13 Doomsday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-23 02:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4859615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyeverthus/pseuds/onlyeverthus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clara and Ten mourn the loss of Rose after Doomsday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	three becomes two

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Clara and Rose are best friends, and Clara traveled with Rose and Ten in S2.

As soon as Rose disappears from view, Clara collapses, sobbing, to the floor. The Doctor stands unmoving, staring at the empty space in front of him, tears like fire on his cheeks, and then lifts his hands to his face, taking a deep breath.

When his hands fall, he looks down at Clara, chest aching at the way her small frame shakes as she cries.

"Clara," he murmurs, crouching beside her. His hand rests on her back, and she shifts away from him, standing abruptly and hurrying from the room. He watches her go, and stands to turn towards the console, deciding to give her a few minutes.

He navigates to a planet that he took the girls to once before, one where it rains for several hours every day before the sun comes out and the entire sky explodes with rainbows. Clara had loved it, he remembers, and it's as good a place as any to park for a while, even if they don't leave the ship.

The TARDIS lands with its usual fanfare, and he looks up at the console, watching the pulsing green light for a moment before going in search of Clara.

She's where he thought she would be, in the vast garden that she and Rose had made their own, with comfy pillows and blankets, and a large projector screen that would come down when they wanted so they could watch movies. Occasionally he had joined them there, enjoying the feel of them pressed against his sides, but mostly it had been their space.

Clara is curled on one of the large cushions, a light blanket pulled over her body and her face red and wet from crying.

Wordlessly, he moves to settle on the edge of the cushion, his back to her and his arms resting on his knees. He doesn't want her to be alone, but more to the point, he doesn't really want to be alone either. He's gotten too used to their voices filling the TARDIS corridors, chatting and laughing, and now the silence is unbearable.

"She was my best friend," Clara finally whispers.

"I know," he replies, the words thick in his mouth. He still doesn't look at her, his eyes on his hands, thinking of the way the fingers of both hands used to twine around theirs, Rose on one side, Clara on the other.

"She was my best friend," Clara repeats, her voice shaky now, "but – but it was more." The Doctor finally looks at her, and she shakes her head. "Or at least I wanted it to be. And I n – never told her, and now – now I –"

Her face crumples as she starts to cry again, and he turns his body towards her as she sits up. She climbs into his lap, her arms going around his neck, and he holds her tightly as she cries, their faces pressed against each other's necks.


End file.
